Where Is She?
by DittyWrites
Summary: The Joker arrives to break Harley out only to find that she's already gone (AKA Harley gets the breakout, and the relationship, which she deserves at the hands of a certain flora goddess).
1. Where Is She?

The screeching of the iron door was deafening as it was cut from its hinges by the unflinching power tool. Bright sparks of clashing metal were blinding and as he wielded the tool with an experienced hand, Johnny Frost kept a steady pace. Narrowing his eyes, he attempted to see through the numerous smoke bombs which had been deployed in the room and he was pleased to have been one of the few henchmen to have secured a security mask to protect him from the choking gas.

Joker, the boss, had finally decided that it was time for him to retrieve his Harley Quinn and a plan had quickly been formulated. The guards outside the room were to be executed instantly while a series of smoke bombs were set off inside to distract the inner guards from their work until they could also be executed. A bit excessive but, hey, the boss had a certain style.

The outdoor guards had been easy enough to dispatch but since entering the main room they had encountered absolutely no resistance thus far. The smoke was too dense for anyone to see more than a few inches in front of their face but if any guards were present then they would at least be shooting. The smoke effect was temporary, however, and it would disappear within the minute allowing them a better view of what was going on.

With one final steady push of his power saw, Frost felt the hinges finally give way and he pushed gently at the heavy door, watching as it fell forward and smashed loudly onto the concrete floor.

Moving to the side, he allowed Joker and another henchman to sweep past him into the cell as they waited for their vision to clear. At this point it would be a quick reunion, they would grab Harley and be out of here before reinforcements could arrive.

However, as soon as the smoke had cleared, they were confronted with a surprise inside the small cell.

Harley was nowhere to be seen.

Gulping in fear as he realised that their plan had failed, Frost watched as Joker ripped the guards mask from his face, exposing his furious expression to his crew as he came to terms with the fact that his big, dramatic rescue was not going to work out.

Snatching the throat of his nearest henchmen, Joker growled, "Where is she?" His voice was so low that it was almost unintelligible and his fingers were making a very clear indentation into the poor bastards throat as his grip tightened.

Glancing around the empty cell, there was no hint or clue as to its previous inhabitants whereabouts, and the confusion was clear in his tone as he confessed,

"Honestly boss, I have no idea."

 ***TWO WEEKS PREVIOUSLY***

"My puddin' taught me a lot of things," winking at the guard, Harley pressed her chest against the bars provocatively, "want to come in here and see?"

"I'd love that baby but your crazy ass would kill me before I could say a word." His tone was mocking and it raised her hackles.

Her eyes narrowed at the sadistic guard, "Coward." She had been trying to entice him into an early death for months, even before her work with the squad, but he had yet to fall for any of her tricks. At the moment he was the only one on guard with her since there had been an alert of an issue with one of the other prisoners and all extra personnel had been called to assist with it.

She hoped it was Boomerang.

He always gave them a hard time.

"Aww that hurt my feelings," the guard sighed but his expression was mean, "and here I was going to fix you up a nice steak and trimmings for your evening meal." He shook his head. "But now I think i'm gonna have to go back to the liquids. You got a flavour choice this time?"

Harley felt her stomach turn at the thought of the feeding tube but she was unwilling to show weakness to this asshole, "Do ya have a steak and trimmings flavour one? I'll also take bubblegum if that's a hassle?" She nodded, eyes wide and crazed.

Laughing cruelly, the guard narrowed his eyes as he prepared to answer but his words were cut off as all hell broke loose inside the room.

A loud explosion burst from the wall behind him and Harley shrieked in fright as she threw her hands up to protect her face from the small pieces of debris which were flying through the air. The sudden noise was causing her ears to ring and her eyes widened in further surprise as a small object came flying through the air and embedded itself in the neck of the guard, causing him to fall to the floor instantly as a dead weight.

Confused and unable to see due to the volume of dust, she scurried back to her bed and stood to the side of it, ready to fight if she needed to. Anything trying to break into this prison was either crazy powerful or just crazy.

It did not take long for a dark figure to emerge from the ruins of the wall. It looked surprisingly small and Harley followed the outline of its outstretch arm until it led up to-

"RED!" Harley squealed, tears springing into her eyes as she took in the unexpected appearance of her partner in more than just crime.

Unable to believe it and filled with a mixture of shock and disbelief, she dashed forward to the edge of her cell and reached out with one hand to the approaching figure.

This couldn't be a hallucination.

She had never hallucinated Red before.

In her preferred costume of a tight-fitting dark green catsuit, with intricate vine designs swirling up and down her limbs, Ivy was a sight to behold. Her red hair was gently curled and radiated health as it emphasised her lightly green-tinged skin. The last Harley had seen her, her skin has lost all of its vibrancy and she felt her heart jump to see it looking so good again.

Finally, reaching the bars, Ivy gave a rare genuine smile as she allowed Harley to reach out and gently trace the outline of her shoulder to confirm that she was real, "It's me baby."

"But how can you be here Red, I saw you d-"

"Shh," Ivy soothed as she reached through the bars and placed her hands on either side of Harleys' face, "it's okay Harls. I'm okay, see?" She grazed the tips of her fingers across the pink cheeks as she attempted to prevent the tears welling in Harleys' eyes from falling.

"Does he have the keys?" Ivy pointed to the guard at her feet.

"Yeah, in his front left pocket," Harley confirmed and she could now see that the object in his neck was a large thorn, one of Ivys' special items, perfect for inducing total paralysis in her victims.

Shaking her head to dispel her sadness, Harley grinned widely as Ivy retrieved the keys and quickly unlocked the door.

Throwing herself through it, she launched herself at her lover, "I missed you so much, Red. You would not believe how much trouble i've been upto! I fought a witch!"

Ivy nodded as she felt strong arms wrap around her waist and she leaned into the tight embrace without hesitation. She had missed the blonde more than she would let on. Having to wait until she was healed and strong enough to track down Harley had been torture, particularly knowing that Harley would have assumed that she was dead and would not be trying to find her too.

Winding her own arms around Harley's neck, Ivy leaned in to breath in the smell she had missed so terribly and as the scent that was pure Harley invaded her senses she felt the anxiety which had been plaguing over the last few months lessen.

But there was an issue she needed to address.

"You've been back in contact with Him."

She was no fool.

The rumours always proved to be true and it had quickly reached her that the infamous Harley Quinn had been spotted within Midway City in the company of the Joker. Very little else was known but that had been enough to cause a horrible mix of betrayal and anger to overwhelm her when she had been informed and she did not react well.

Harley loved her, she didn't doubt that, but the thought that she could return to the Joker so quickly after her apparent loss had the potential to devastate her.

She had to know why.

There had to be a reason.

A look of pure panic entered Harleys' expression as she heard the hint of betrayal which was lurking in Ivy's tone. The accusation was clear and she was self-aware enough to know that it looked bad. Real bad.

"Aww Red, please don't be mad at me," she begged, widening her eyes in pleading as she went to explain, "I had a bomb stuck in my neck and he was the only one who I knew could get it out for me." She gestured to the place in her neck where the bomb had been implanted. "I didn't want the devil lady to blow my head off cause I wouldn't dance to her tune. Please don't be mad."

Whipping her head around with a dangerous speed, Ivy bared her teeth, "You had a what?"

Shrugging casually as she recalled her predicament, Harley pursed her lips. "Bomb. Neck. Was a pain in the ass actually. 0/10 would not recommend."

"But it's gone now?" Concern in her tone.

"Yeah it's g-"

Without giving Harley any more time to speak, Ivy leaned in to catch her lips with her own in an insistent kiss.

She had no idea how close she had come to possible losing the bubbly blonde and even the thought of it left her with a deep ache in her chest. What happened in Midway City was a mystery to her but she knew that Harley would be able to tell her everything when they had a free moment. As a couple they were transparent, they didn't trade in lies.

Harley returned the kiss with enthusiasm for a few moments before breaking away with a dopey smile as she touched a finger to her lips, "What was that for?"

"I am just pleased that you are safe," Ivy confessed before narrowing her eyes slightly, "And where is he now? Your 'Pudding'? Could he not be bothered to help you out of this place?" Her hate had led to her tone taking on a more nasty edge as she mentioned the clown.

Harley's lip wobbled dangerously, "Puddin' is dead, Red."

Having to quickly hide her smile, Ivy leaned in again to make it appear that she was offering support. When her face was fully covered she muttered quietly, "I'm sorry to hear that, Harls."

Pulling back, Harleys' blue eyes met her own green ones, "You are such a bad liar, Red."

"I suppose I am."

Agreeing instantly, Ivy could not muster the strength to pretend that she would miss that bastard.

She had torn his empire to shreds in order to free Harley, to keep her safe from his influence and grasp and when she had started to track Harley down again she was aware that she would possibly have to do it again.

And she was more than willing.

However, if it was true and the Joker was finally gone then that made things infinitely easier. Her strength had returned to her but she was still too weak to be entering into another full-scale rogue war.

"Ready to leave, love?" She cooed into Harley's ear. She had a safe zone organised deep within the swamp which surrounded the prison, the flora there was very susceptible to her influence and it had reacted wonderfully. They would be safe there as they made an escape.

"I love how organised ya are," Harley matched her grin as she realised that she would soon be completely free, "but I just have one teeny-tiny thing to do before we go."

Rolling her eyes, Ivy huffed loudly as Harley walked over to the prone body of the guard whom she had been talking to when Ivy had burst in.

"Harley we really don't have time for this."

"But I was having a conversation before you interrupted me, Red!" She pouted. "This will just take a minute and my friend here hasn't been very nice to me."

Stopping just in front of the fallen guard, Harley tilted her head towards the harsh florescent prison lights and gestured to the area just above her lip.

Squinting, Ivy honed her gaze at the pale skin. In the small area beneath the nose she could just detect a faint, shadowy bruising which her own experiences in various asylums indicated only one thing.

They had been force feeding her.

Roughly.

Snarling in anger, Ivy clawed her fingers as she started to march towards the fallen guard who she now understood would have been responsible for the bruising and feeding. She was going to afflict him with a poison so terrible he would wish he was dead long before it happened and she could feel her body chemistry reacting to the thought.

Her process was halted by a soft hand on her chest which prevented her from moving any further. Looking at Harley in confusion, Ivy couldn't understand why Harley would bother stopping her. She never had any problem with her killing men before, in fact, they quite enjoyed it as a past-time.

Stopping as requested, she watched as Harley pounced on the fallen man. His body was unable to move but his eyes were darting wildly as Harley thrust her face into his.

"Hey Buddy, what where we talking bout before Pammy arrived?" She asked in mock confusion. "Oh yeah my dinner tonight. Sorry to disappoint you cause I was really looking forward to what you were cookin' cause I am STARVING but I have a prior engagement."

Bringing her hands to sit gently on his neck, Harley continued her one-sided conversation, "Aww honey, what's wrong? You can't move?" She pouted sympathetically. "Red here doesn't like it when people put me in a cage and force me to do things." A pause. "Do you want me to try and help ya?"

Tightening her grip on the neck, she pulled her hands to the side quickly and, even from her standing position, Ivy could hear the sickening snap of the bone as his life was snuffed out instantly.

Letting go of him, Harley giggled, "Oops."

"I think you've made your point," even though she was pleased to see Harley get her revenge, Ivy knew they only had a limited amount of time to flee, "can we go now?"

Bouncing up, Harley stretched her arms out before twisting her body to the ground and performing a perfect cartwheel, her lithe body sailing through the air with a practised ease, which left her standing directly in front of Ivy again.

Her grin was splitting her face and Ivy could sense her excitement, "Lets go Pammy! And just to let you know I wasn't kidding when I said I was starving." Her grin was replaced by a mischievous smile as her eyes lidded, "It's been too long since I had something healthy to chew on. I get lonely in prison and I really missed eating up all my greens."

To ensure that none of the euphemisms went unnoticed, Harley directed her gaze openly at Ivys' chest before trailing her eyes down the costume-covered body and snapping them back up again to meet her eyes.

A blush appeared high in Ivys' cheeks, she had forgotten how brazen Harley could be when it came to their sex life, "Harley..." She growled in warning, as much as she loved it, now was not the time.

A look of angelic innocence met her growl as Harley blinked at her through long lashes, "What's the matter Red? I was only saying that I missed ya!"

A pretty laugh escaped Ivy at the halfhearted protest and she gently grabbed Harleys' warm hand and began to direct her out of the makeshift exit which she had created as they started their journey to the nearby swamp.


	2. Drinks Count As Squad Business

Ivy knew her apartment was as unique as they come.

Three weeks has passed since she had facilitated Harleys' escape from Belle Reve and as her eyes swept lazily across her apartment, she couldn't deny that she was pleased to be home.

It was located within the more 'undesirable' areas of Gotham due to its close proximity to one of the largest power stations throughout the region. This choice was no error on her part however as she was aware that the level of power needed for her to keep the various lighting and heating apparatus which she needed to nurture her plants would eventually draw attention from unwanted sources.

Gotham was rarely afforded sunshine so she found that she was forced to use artificial means to suit her purposes and it was easy enough to steal energy from the power plant to both meet her needs and also help her evade detection as high levels of power use in the area were not uncommon and difficult to pinpoint.

The soft hum of the plant-heating lights was the only sound which could be heard throughout the apartment as both of its occupants enjoyed a rare moment of peace.

Lying stretched out on the sofa, Ivy was taking up the majority of the available space. Her sheer green nightgown had risen up around her upper thighs due to the slight movements she had to make in order to create space for the other occupant of the couch.

Harley was lying half-on the sofa and half-on Ivy herself as the pair shared the small area. Harley's leg was tucked inside her own and her head resting just below her chest. Harley had apparently chosen to pass the time by faintly tracing shapes across the soft fabric of the nightgown.

Enjoying the sensation, Ivy retaliated by playing with Harleys' loose hair, making a vain attempt to braid it with just one hand.

The last three weeks had been euphoric for her.

After the hell she had gone through in order to heal herself after her near-death experience, to have her health back and Harley here, in her arms, was almost a miracle and it was all that she could possibly need. Her plants were coming along well and her criminal exploits had been put on hold temporarily until she was back at full strength.

"We'll need to give you another shot soon." She murmured into the quiet space as a thought occurred to her.

Raising her head slightly, Harley knitted her eyebrows, "Huh?"

"You haven't had a shot in three years darling," she explained, "your enhancements will soon start to weaken slightly. They will always exist but a quick booster will bring them back to their full potential. Can't have you feeling light-headed around me can we?"

"I'm always light-headed around you." Harley argued with a dopey grin as she poked gently at the waist she was resting on.

Almost purring in contentment, Ivy smiled in agreement as she settled in further to the sofa.

A soft buzzing soon made itself known and Harley reached over her head to grab at her phone. Bringing the screen close to her, she squinted at the incoming text message as an excited grin made its way on to her face.

Noticing the smile, Ivy glanced at the screen. The contact read 'DeadAss' and the message simply read _'Hey dollface, drinks count as squad business. You in?'_

"Who is that?" Ivys' tone was confused. DeadAss was a name which was totally unfamiliar to her. Kids these days and their stupid names, surely it had to be a codename?

Harley smirked as she tucked the phone into her bra, "That's Deadshot. Y'know Deadshot? The assassin guy I worked the Task Force Ass with?"

"Yeah, I have heard of him." Since her emergence as a powerhouse, she had made a point of being vaguely aware of all the major players within Gothams' underbelly and Deadshot was a name which kept cropping up in her investigations.

"Could I talk you into joining us all for a drink, Pammy?" Harley asked, batting her eyelashes as she attempted to convince Ivy to join her.

Releasing a false sigh, Ivy quirked a brow, "You will need to convince me."

Giggling, Harley slid up Ivy's body until she was able meet her face-to-face, "Is that a challenge Red?"

Leaning in, Ivy placed a sweet kiss on the corner of her mouth in lieu of an actual response.

x-x-x-x-x

Parking the car up, Ivy could feel the excitement radiating from Harley as she fixed her hair into her favourite style of bunches.

"Should I be expecting trouble, Harls?" Turned to face her, she raised an eyebrow, "Every time I see you this happy trouble usually follows."

"Nah, the guys are cool," Harley muttered, using the passenger-side mirror to reapply her red lipstick, "but you never know, Red. A few of them are crazy!"

Ivy chuckled, "Coming from you hun, that's quite the claim."

Pouting to show her displeasure at the accusation, Harley broke out into a smile as she opened the car door and slipped outside.

"You go ahead Red, i'm gonna go pay the meter."

"Really? Why bother?" When did they ever pay meters?

"Hey! This car is very stolen and I don't need the extra heat. I just want to have some fun and a few drinks without being interrupted."

Holding up a hand to signal her agreement, Ivy waved it impatiently, "Sure Harls, whatever. I'll get you just inside the doors then."

Walking ahead, she paused to adjust her coat to ensure that the majority of her green-tinged skin was covered. It wouldn't matter much when they were indoors but prying eyes were everywhere in Gotham.

Passing a dark alley, she heard a faint scratching noise but before she could turn around she felt a presence behind her and something sharp digging in to her lower spine.

"Alright, love?" A gruff voice drawled somewhere over her right shoulder. The faint smell of beer and dirt invaded her senses and she narrowed her eyes in distaste as the voice continued, "Just hand over ya purse and jewels and no one will get hurt! Try an' fight me and you'll get shivved."

Unable to believe that some fool had actually threatened her, Ivy bared her teeth and hissed, "Get your filthy hands off me or I will kill you." She could feel her body chemistry react to the threat and the flow of poison through her system increased in potency.

Obviously surprised by her venomous tone, she felt the mans' grip of her loosen slightly before he caught himself and strengthened it once more. She could feel the thick fingers digging into her jacked-covered arm and she tensed her body in preparation of a fight.

"You're a brave one aint'cha?" The thief crooned, "Well darling, i'm not kid-"

His voice was replaced by a strangled gasp as he was body flung from his position behind Ivy and launched harshly towards the ground.

As he collided with a solid thump, Ivy twisted around and was confronted by a very irate Harley.

"Hey Red!" She called out, her anger obvious in her tone, "Did this dumbass put his hands on you?" Sending a glare towards the man, who was lying face down on the ground, she used her foot to kick him over to his front, "Hey buddy, did you put your hand on my g- Oh hey Boomer!"

Her expression switched suddenly into a wide grin as she recognised the winded figure.

Struggling to catch his breath after his unexpected meeting with the hard asphalt, Digger could only grin weakly as he stared up at the two women. Upon recognising Harley, he subtly attempted to hide the sharp boomerang which he still had clenched in his grasp.

"Harley!" His accented voice seemed somewhat pleased to see the blonde, "How ya doing you crazy b-" A hiss in warning from Ivy caused him to pause for a moment and he followed with a lame, "girl?"

"Did you just call me a girl?" Harley tilted her head in questioning before she clearly understood what she had just interrupted, "HEY! Did you just try and rob my girlfriend?"

Placing her hands on her hips, she loomed over the fallen figure with an aggressive stance.

"I didn't do nothing!" Digger protested but seeing that both women were ready to kick his ass even further into the ground, he averted his eyes and corrected, "I didn't know she was YOUR girlfriend."

"Well she is!"

"A girlfriend, eh?" Boomer ignored answering her in favour of eyeing up the pair with an obvious leer, "But I thought you were with J-"

"Harley is free to be with whomever she wants. Do not mention the clowns name in my presence or there will be trouble. You're already on thin ice, asshole. The only reason you aren't dead is because Harley seems to know you." Ivy hissed.

"No offence meant, darling! I just didn't know that Harley liked her bread butter'd on both sides ya know?"

Harley shrugged in admittance which Ivy groaned slightly at the metaphor.

An idea lit up Diggers' face and he licked his lips slightly before purring in his thick accent, "Y'know you're both very gorgeous ladies! If you're ever in the bedroom and decide that ye need a man to len-"

Ivy produced a series of thorns from her inner pocket and held them threateningly, "Finish that sentence and die, dog."

"That's right babe, i'm a real hound dog!" Digger winked as he pushed himself to his feet.

"Can I kill him?" Ivy spoke directly to Harley.

One nod and this idiot was dead.

Pursing her lips as she considered it, Harley eventually shook her head, "Sorry Pammy, not allowed to kill him. Waller needs him."

Huffing in annoyance, Ivy crossed her arms and continued her small walk to the bar with Harley glued to her side.

Unable to take a hint, Digger placed himself between the two and put his arms across their shoulders, "So what ya drinkin' toni-YEOOW!"

His question turned to a pained cry as Ivy reached up without hesitation and twisted his wrist until she heard a satisfying 'pop'.

Snatching his arms away, he muttered under his breath as Harley pushed the bar doors open.

x-x-x-x-x

The bar was dingy and had a stale scent to it which caused Ivy to crinkle her nose. Her entrance with Harley and the still-muttering Boomerang caused a few people to glance their way but in the darkness of the room no one allowed their eyes to linger.

Walking directly to the bar, Ivy quickly ordered up a cocktail for Harley and a large glass of red wine for herself.

Boomerang could buy his own.

Clearly spotting her targets, Harley immediately made a beeline towards one of the corner booths.

Watching her go as she waited for the drinks, Ivy was treated to her first real sight of the people who had fought and almost died with her favourite blonde.

Deadshot was about as much as she expected. She could see his cocky grin from here and as Harley reached the table she picked up the faint sound of him referring to her as 'dollface' and she snorted slightly. That was a new one.

The small Japanese woman sitting to Deadshots' right must be Katana. Ivy had never heard of her before but if she was affiliated with the government in some capacity then that would explain it. A possessed sword is rather unique after all and rumours spread quickly in criminal circles. Compared to both Harley and Deadshot, Katana was tiny and yet Ivy could sense that her power far exceeded her diminutive stature.

The female bartender handed her the drinks politely and Ivy placed a twenty down for her as she made her own way towards the table.

Taking the seat to Harleys' left, since the right was occupied by that fool Boomerang, she nudged Harleys' leg with her own.

"Drink?"

"Aww thanks, Red!" Harley exclaimed as she took a sip from the sugary cocktail.

"So you're the one who busted Harleys' ass outta Belle Reve then? I'm Deadshot but you can call me Floyd." Deadshot asked as he introduced himself to Ivy while Katana nodded politely and took a sip of her large whiskey.

"Yes I am." Ivy confirmed as she sized up the assassin, he seemed respectful enough of her and also a little wary. She wondered if he was aware of her reputation but her question was soon answered.

"You're Poison Ivy? You're the one who blew up that pipeline going through Robinson Park?" It was posed as a question but he clearly knew the answer.

"See Pammy, you're famous." Harley elbowed her gently.

"That pipeline was going to destroy Gothams' ecosystem within the next decade. I was within my right to see it burn." Shrugging, Ivy swirled her wine within the glass.

"You did the right thing."

Katanas' strong, unexpected voice rang across the table and Ivy tilted her glass towards her before taking a graceful sip.

She had a feeling she was going to like Katana.

"I freed Harley from that hell of a prison. How did all of you get free?" Ivy was curious, it had taken her many days of planning to execute her rescue and for the remainder of Task Force X to now be free seemed highly suspicious.

Floyd was the first to answer.

"Waller released us in exchange for us keeping the damn bombs in our necks," he scowled at the agreement and there was an obvious tension there, "as long as we play nice and don't kill civilians, anyone too important or interfere with government business we're free to do what we do best."

Harley was bomb-free, Ivy knew that much and she didn't want to consider any alternative.

"And you?" She looked to Katana.

Katana didn't hesitate, "I was never implanted with the bomb."

"Alright for some," Floyd grumbled as he took a swig of his beer, "yo Boomer, why you being so quiet?"

"I'm alright mate just tryna work out if I can fix me wrist myself or if I need to go find myself a nursie?" Digger answered loudly as he subtly tried to adjust his aching joint.

"What happened to him?" His tone was full of exasperation as he realised that Digger was, again, in trouble.

"I happened," Ivy confessed, "he was thoroughly warned."

Katana nodded in understanding, "I nearly broke his jaw."

Everyone around the table minus Digger let out a small laugh at her comment and as Harley giggled, Ivy felt her hand rest on her leg and she threw a small smile at the blonde.

"Hey."

An unexpected voice broke the moment and Ivy turned to look at the intruder.

A man stood behind her with a sheepish-looking woman at his side. His hair was ruffled and he was wearing a dark jacket with denim trousers while the woman to his side was wearing a simple dark dress which was not too out of place in the bar.

"Flag!" Floyd gave the lighter-haired man a genuine smile as he slid further into the booth to allow one of the pair a seat, "How you doing man?"

"I'm good Floyd," the man, Ivy recalled his full name was Rick Flag, announced, "June and I got your message and we thought it might be a good night so here we are. How's the daughter?"

As Flag and Floyd got into a conversation about the latters daughter, Ivy focussed her attention on the woman.

At the name June, her ears had perked up and her eyes darted to the pretty woman. So this was Dr June Moone, the woman who had been the Enchantress' human meat-bag for a time. Harley had mentioned that she had survived the expulsion of the ancient being from her body but Ivy had to admit that she was impressed with how brave she had to be to show her face to a table of people whom she had recently tried to kill.

She admired that.

As Flag and finished their mini-conversation, a slightly lull in conversation occurred but any tension in the air which might have grown was broken by Harley as she waved frantically at Dr Moone.

"How ya doing, Loony Juney?"

Letting out a shy smile, Dr Moone dipped her head slightly.

To her side, Flag held up a finger and pointed at Harley, "Don't call her that." He demanded.

"It's okay Rick," Dr Moone soothed him gently, "but call me June." She directed her smile to Harley again.

"Flag, want a beer?" Lawton smiled at the newcomer and slid one of the many beers which were occupying the table towards him. The bottle sailed across the table with precision and Flag grasped it immediately before it fell off the edge

"Thanks." Holding the beer in one hand, he pulled out a chair for June to sit before placing himself in the space which Floyd had created in the booth.

Ivy was momentarily impressed with the small chivalrous act and apparently so was Harley as she winked at June and mouthed "real classy".

"So how's ya life been since you shared your body with the wicked witch of the well?" Harley asked brazenly, ignoring all social cues.

"It's been good," June nodded, "Rick has been really good at helping me work through what happened and he's always there to keep away the nightmares."

Ivy noticed a few wistful expressions around the table as June described her domestic life and she decided to move the conversation along.

"My name is Dr Pamela Isley, but you may call me-"

"Ivy. Poison Ivy! You're Pammy!" Junes' face was excited but she immediately closed it off as she saw the look of confusion which Ivy knew she was showing, "Sorry that was...a bit weird. Sorry."

Ivy frowned slightly, "You know me?"

"When she was possessing me I could see what she could see," June explained quickly, "and when she was examining Harley's mind in the train station I could see some of the memories and feelings which were associated with you. I could see and feel the love and thing like that." She paused, "I'm sorry for prying but I couldn't really help it."

"Pammy doesn't mind," Harley giggled, "she was probably just worried that you were an ex she'd forgotten about!"

Ivy smiled at the comment and she felt a spread of warmth through her as the implications of Dr Moones' words hit her. She knew Harley loved her but to have it confirmed from an outside source was incredibly pleasing.

"I don't have that many ex's Harls," she protested gently, "people I have temporarily controlled with my power do not count as ex's."

"Suuuure! Whatever, Red..."

The conversation was soon in full flow again with exchanged tales of the various missions and experiences which each individual had lived through and Ivy was surprised to find that she was actually having fun.

She had expected herself to be polite to these people since they had helped to keep Harley alive while she was on their suicide mission but she found herself genuinely enjoying their company.

Deadshot was a little brash but he was humorous and knew how to tell a decent story. Katana was quiet but her comments were sharp witted and showed her level of intelligence. Flag was a soldier which would normally put her off but she could see how he was clearly enjoying himself and whatever awkwardness June may have felt at being surrounded by criminals was non-existent as she laughed and argued with them where necessary. Even Boomerang was bothering her less at the moment as he had given up on attempting to flirt or even speak to her.

"Where's Waller? Did you text her about tonight?" Flag asked Floyd as he allowed the waitress to pick up their empty glasses.

"You know I did! But she straight-up pulled a Houdini on my ass and disappeared from the video call." Floyd laughed openly as he recalled the conversation, "So I kinda took that as a 'no'."

As she watched Harley out of the corner of her eye, Ivy was surprised to note a look of joy pass through her expression. Following her gaze, Ivy look to the doors and felt a jolt of surprise as she recognised the man who was currently walking towards their small group.

Waylon Jones.

Harley had mentioned that Croc was a part of Task Force X and his pivotal role at putting an end to the Enchantress but she didn't think that he was one for socialising outside of necessity. He clearly hadn't spotted her as he wove his way towards the table, his signature gait and mistrustful glances making more than a few people take note of him.

But this was Gotham and people soon returned their attention to their own business.

"Yo." Waylon growled as he pulled up a chair to their small gathering.

A chorus of various greetings met him as he sat down and Floyd quickly fired a beer his way across the table.

"Hello Waylon." Ivy purred, catching his attention as the initial greetings died down.

"Hey Ivy!" A wide genuine smile made its way onto his surprised face, showing off each of his razor sharp teeth to the group as he realised who was sitting with them.

"You two know each other?" Flag asked, noticing the exchange.

Ivy smirked to show her affirmation, "I've hired Waylon for a number of jobs over the years. His skills as a diver make him quite the expert at collecting certain types of plant material which are only available in the deepest recesses of Gothams' waters."

"She pays good and she always has a beer waiting for me." Waylon agreed as he lowered his hood and exposed his face to the group, "Did she tell you about the time we worked together to kill the Bat?"

"Not yet I hadn't. Do you want to tell the story?" Ivy offered as she lay her head on Harley's inviting shoulder. The glasses of wine she had consumed were catching up with her and she had a good buzz going on.

Waylons' face became more animated as his thick voice started to spin the tale and Ivy took the opportunity to glance around the table.

Everyone was focused on Croc, even Boomerang, and she had to admit that what little apprehension she had of meeting these people had been put to bed.

They were criminals and murderers but they seemed to have a base morality and that was what separated them from scum like the Joker. Ivy knew she had blood on her hands, to protect her babies she had killed more people than she cared to admit but she never targeted the young or infirm.

Noticing her distant gaze, Harley moved in to whisper quietly in her ear, "You doing okay, Pammy? Ya look like you're off on one! You having a good time?"

Turning her head, Ivy met Harleys' eyes with her own and, checking to make sure no one was watching them too closely, leaned in and gave her a gentle kiss which was returned for a split moment before she pulled away.

"I'm having a good night, Harls, don't worry."

Her voice was soothing and a small smile graced her face as she squeezed Harleys' hand and zoned back into Waylons' story.

She could get used to this.


	3. Beginning To Piss Me Off

"Did you make some new friends, Red?" Harley inquired casually as she leaned back comfortably against the headrest of her seat, the gentle vibrations of the car causing her voice to rumble lightly as they made their way through the uneven streets.

They had disappeared from the bar an hour previously, leaving the remainder of Task Force X to enjoy their night, and walked to grab some food from a nearby store. By the time the food had been purchased and consumed, Ivy was pleased to find that she was completely sober again and able to drive.

Her strange body chemistry burned though alcohol at a much quicker rate than that of a normal human and it allowed her to drink as much as she liked with very little consequences. Her vague memories of college hangovers were thankful for this unexpected boon and she knew Harley experienced a similar rushed metabolism due to her own interference in her genetic make-up.

"I had a nicer night that I initially expected to." Admitting that she enjoyed herself, Ivy sent a small smile Harleys' way as she pulled away from the parking lot. "I'm pleased to have contact with Waylon again, he is one of the few men in this world whom I actually quite like. He's not a bonehead."

Giggling at the term, Harley leaned down to pull her pixie boots up a little higher, "I love Croc, he always had my back. Why did ya bother getting Looney Juneys' number though? She's not gonna want to get up to our style of fun. Without her witch she's just" she screwed her face up, "normal."

"June has some strong botanical knowledge," taking a left, Ivy kept her eyes on the road as she answered the question, "her archaeological work in the Amazon allowed her to view and interact with some really interesting specimens which I have had some difficulty in getting samples of here in Gotham."

"You need to work less, Red."

"I take what I can get." Ivy laughed as Harley chastised her but she again felt the need to defend the archaeologist, "Dr. Moone could prove useful to my work and I think it's a bit mean to imply that she's boring Harls," she frowned slightly, "I think she has the potential to be great and we really do need more female friends."

Her conversation with June had allowed her to further analyse the woman and she found her to be intelligent and also somewhat sly but the thing that had stood out was a sense of 'otherness' which Ivy had picked up almost instantly.

She was not entirely sure why, she assumed it was her connection to nature itself, but she could feel a sense of ancient earth surrounding the young scientist and she would not be surprised to find that the Enchantress had left her with some gifts in the near future.

"That's true!" Harley agreed quickly, pointing a finger at Ivy without turning to look at her, "Aside from you and me there's only Selina and our kitty has been gone for ages." Her smile dropped, "Do you think she'll ever come back?"

"Selina is a creature of habit," Ivy mused as she scanned the various pedestrians, "nothing will keep her away for too long. Don't worry." She purred, attempting to cheer up the blonde.

The car went quiet as they both enjoyed the remains of their night, the cool Gotham breeze washing over them as they wove through the empty streets.

Eventually reaching her apartment, Ivy pulled into her preferred space with practised ease as Harley unbuckled her seatbelt and stretched out her body.

Turning the car off and hopping out gracefully, Ivy waited until Harley had slid out her own door and was on the path beside her, "Do you think tha-"

Her question was cut off by the unmistakable sound of gunfire as a loud blast started ringing in her ears. Instinctively turning towards the sound, she barely had time to blink before an even louder bang to her side let her know that Harley had immediately begun to return fire.

She watched as the lone gunman, his face half-hidden by a mask, clutched at his chest for a moment before falling to the ground. Glancing back at Harley, Ivy was pleased to note that the blonde was completely unharmed and seemed happy with her single shot which had eliminated the threat.

Walking over to the body, they pulled the mask down so that they could fully view the face.

"Know him?" Ivy asked.

"Noooope."

"Do you think he was trying to rob us?"

Snorting, Harley shrugged, "It's Gotham, Red! Who's not tryna rob us?"

Smiling at the answer, Ivy quickly checked over the deserted street before inclining her head towards the body and grabbing its feet. Taking the hint, Harley grabbed the arms and they slowly carried him into one of the darkened alleyways further away from the apartment to dump him.

Ivy was fond of this apartment and it was a bad enough neighbourhood that the odd gunshot would not draw the police here.

But a body left open in the street just might.

Finding a perfect spot, they dropped the body and wiped their hands down quickly before disappearing into their own building as subtly as they could without drawing attention.

x-x-x-x-x

"Does it have to be tonight, Red?" Harley whined, glancing over the back of the couch as she watched Ivy lean down towards the floor.

Frowning at the petulant tone, Ivy tapped gently on the floorboards to locate the one she needed, "C'mon Harls, may as well get it out of the way now."

Snatching up the loose floorboard, Ivy pulled out the metal briefcase from its hidden spot. The small apartment contained several hidden areas but this was the only one to contain a sample of the shot which she used to provide Harley with her enhanced strength, agility and immune system. She never kept more than one sample as it could potentially fall into the wrong hands and it would be easy enough to recreate in an emergency so they was no need for several vials to exist.

Popping open the case, she pulled out the small bottle and the syringe which was being held to its side. Feeling the bottle in her hand, she was pleased to find that it was perfectly room-temperature. One of the fail-safes which she worked into the concoction was that it could only be administered at a warm room-temperature or it would react negatively with the host. Anyone attempting to use the shot would naturally attempt to study it and she knew from first hand experience that they would be likely to keep it in a refrigerated lab, therefore automatically ruining the mix.

Walking back to the living room with the syringe and bottle, she sat them both on the small table before taking her previous seat at Harleys' side.

"After it is administered you will experience some considerable pain but it will knock you unconscious within thirty seconds so you only have to endure for a little while." Her tone was apologetic but this was necessary if Harley was to live with her again for an extended period, "You will remain unconscious for around three hours and in that time your immune system and body will be strengthening itself."

"Do I need to be knocked out? You know I hate being asl-" Harley questioned but was interrupted by Ivys' hands on her own.

"I know, baby, I know. I hate it too," she agreed, "but if you stay conscious then you'll feel everything and it will feel like your body is tearing itself apart and re-knitting together. It'll be torture, Harls, and i'm not putting you through that."

Sighing, Harley nodded her consent.

"Are you ready love?" Ivy asked, running her hand across Harleys' chin.

"Ready, Red!" Harley smiled but Ivy could see the nervousness hiding behind the facade.

Feeling a tug in her stomach, she took a deep breath.

For as long as they had been together, Harley had suffered from night terrors, a result of her various abuses at the hands of the Joker, and Ivy was always willing to help her avoid them whenever possible.

"I have adrenaline in my workshop and if it looks like you are suffering I will bring you out of your sleep." A pause. "But only as a last resort."

Looking more thankful that she would let on, Harley nodded again to show her consent.

"Do you want me to inject you here or in the bedroom? You can sleep it off in there much more comfortably?"

"Bed," Harley replied instantly, "the bed smells like you."

She offered the words as though they were an explanation and it caused Ivy to smile despite her apprehension.

Gliding through to the bedroom, Ivy allowed Harley to make herself comfortable on the bed before taking a seat beside her. Filling the syringe with the full dosage, she performed the task calmly while Harley watched her every move with intelligent eyes.

Leaning in, she tapped lightly at Harleys' neck as she attempted to locate an appropriate vein and as soon as one appeared she placed the needle against it and slid it in as smoothly as possible.

The fine needle met no resistance as it deposited its content and she pulled it out just as gently.

"You have about ten seconds before it starts, baby." She whispered in her ear as she helped Harley to lay flat on her back.

"Kiss?"

"Always."

Bending down she placed a soft kiss on her lips before breaking away and taking a hold of her hand instead.

Within a few moments, Harleys' breath started to become laboured and her muscles tensed as the pain started to affect her. The grip on Ivys' hand was soon painful as small whimpers of pain escaped the blonde.

Kissing her knuckles, Ivy hummed quietly as she brushed her other hand through Harleys' hair as she willed her to pass out before experiencing anymore of the negative side-affects.

The whimpers increased in volume and Harley bit her lip in an effort to contain them.

Releasing Ivys' hand, she clutched at her stomach as a loud moan escaped her but almost as soon as it had, her expression smoothed as she fell unconscious.

Thankful, Ivy repositioned her so that she could lie under the blanket without being too confined. Harley would be out of the game for a while and she was happy to sit by her side the entire time to ensure that nothing went wrong.

Keeping herself atop the blanket, she curled her body around Harleys' unresponsive one and, placing her hand above Harleys' heart to keep track of her pulse, soon started to doze.

x-x-x-x-x

Her slumber was broken by the call of her plant guards which she had stationed outside of her apartment to warn her of anyone who came too close and, according to the warning signals she was receiving, there were two threats approaching her door.

Staring at the clock, she noted that she had been asleep for just over three hours and a quick check of Harleys' vitals suggested that she was still under the influence but completely healthy and stable.

A growl escaped her as she considered the intruders who were approaching. Her paralyzing thorns were inaccessible at the moment as they were too far for her to reach in time.

That left Harley vulnerable.

And that was unacceptable.

Her instincts heightened as her rage at the intrusion and desire to protect her lover caused her senses to sharpen. She could hear the faint murmuring of voices outside her front door and she readied herself for the small fight in store.

Closing the door to the bedroom to prevent Harley from being discovered, she snatched up one of the sharpened knives before silently positioning herself behind the kitchen door and waiting.

Soon enough the door creaked open quietly and muffled footsteps could be heard. Peering between the door and frame she could see the two men who had dared to enter her home.

Both dressed entirely in black and with somewhat matching outfits, the only noticeable difference was that the one who was heading in the direction of the kitchen was armed with an expensive looking assault rifle while the other held a large serrated blade.

Stilling her breath as the man entered the kitchen, she waited patiently until he was in far enough before she sprang for her position and slammed the door with enough force to instantly separate him from his companion.

Pulling at his back with all of her available strength, she spun the surprised man around and, without giving him a moment to pause, grabbed his face and planted a deadly kiss on his lips.

Dropping the knife in the process, she threw her hands down to his gun to hold it down until her poison had enough time to work its magic. His eyes bulged as a faint tinge of green started to spread across his exposed skin and his breathing started to become increasingly more shallow. She only had to struggle with him for a moment before his strength faded as the fast-acting poison robbed him of his life.

His body fell to the floor with a solid thud as she reached down and grabbed the knife again, this time tucking it in the waistband of the shorts which she had planned on wearing to bed.

Opening the kitchen door silently, she entered the living room and attempted to locate the second intruder. He was nowhere to be seen and a moment of panic seized her as she considered the possibility that he had entered the bedroom where Harley lay.

Dashing into the hallway, she cursed her stupidity as she was brought face-to-face with the second intruder.

Bringing the knife up in an offensive pose, the man spoke, "Sorry 'bout this but business is business."

Feigning a retreat, Ivy backed away until she was back in the living room to give herself more room to manoeuvre.

"Real shame too, good looking girl like you. Real shame."

Sensing an opportunity, Ivy quivered her lower lip and developed doe eyes. Giving a false sniff, she placed her hands behind her back and allowed the man to approach.

"Real shame." He repeated as he stood in front of her and raised his arm to make the killing blow.

Faster than anyone could react, she snatched the knife from her waistband and jammed it his chest so hard that only the hilt remained uncovered.

Pure shock and pain filled the face of the man as he looked down at the hilt and then back at her as a small rivulet of blood soon started to make its way down his chest.

"Stupid man." She hissed as a vicious smirk replaced her previous look of fear.

Keeping the knife where it was, she waited to allow him to fall down dead of his own accord.

Releasing a breath she did not realise she was holding, Ivy cracked her neck slightly, attempting to wind down from the sudden burst of adrenaline as she returned to the kitchen. Dragging the body of the poisoned man through to lie beside the other, she was about to begin rolling them up in the ruined rug when a soft voice interrupted her.

"Ya having fun without me, Red?"

Grinning widely to see the blonde up and about, Ivy pulled her in for a hug, "You doing okay, Harls? How do you feel?"

"Like a million bucks! You were right, I did need a booster shot!" Harley giggled as she reciprocated the hug.

They stayed like that for a solid minute before Harley looked at the intruders again.

"They look like assassins," she commented as she observed the weaponry of choice and matching clothing, "did ya find out who sent them?"

Ivy felt embarrassment rise high in her cheeks, in her rage at the intrusion and desire to protect Harley she had not considered interrogating one of the duo.

"I, uhh, am unsure. They were dead before I thought to ask." She confessed. "But I think you're right Harls, three shooters in one day? That's not coincidence. I think someone has a hit out on either one or both of us."

"But who do we know who'd want to-" Harley placed her fingers against her head in a gun shape and mimed blowing her brains out.

"Given our histories that would be quite a list."

She paused to think for a few moments. Her recent time out of the criminal world has robbed her of some contacts but she was sure that word of a hit as big as one which would get put on them would spread around quickly enough.

"Would your friend Deadshot be able to help us?"

Harley picked up her phone from the table and winked at Ivy, "I suppose we should find out yeah?"

Tapping the screen a few times with her fingers, she quickly flicked through her contacts as she sought out who she needed. Placing the phone on loudspeaker she held it in her open palm.

The loud ringing went on for a few moments before the phone clicked and a groggy voice answered.

"Listen Dollface, we're friends and that but you call me after a night out this early again and i'm gonna put one in your upper arm, yeah?" Floyds' gruff tone was suggestive of his developing hangover and Ivy rolled her eyes, "but what you phoning for? Damn."

"HEY DEADSHOT!" Harley yelled into the phone and Ivy swore she felt his flinch at the suddenly loud voice, "Ivy says HEY too!"

"Harley I will kill you..." Floyd warned through clearly clenched teeth.

"Lawson, do you know if someone has put out an assassins contract on us? We've been shot at three times since we left the bar and it's beginning to piss me off."

A soft snort through the phone, "What else can you tell me?"

"I'm sure it's an open contract," Ivy continued, "the first shooter was alone while the second two were a duo. No obvious signs of them belonging to any organisation and there must be some decent money involved to encourage people to take us on. Have you heard anything?"

"Nah but I can see what I can find?" The voice confirmed and hung up.

"...bye!" Harley offered sarcastically to the phone before rolling her eyes.

A comfortable silence fell as the pair waited for their callback. Ivy passed the time by considering her two corpses and how exactly she was going to dispose of them. She could produce enough acid in her plants to dispose of one with relative ease but two was going to be a real pain.

Her musing were cut short by the ringing phone which Harley quickly answered.

"Hey babe." She called into the receiver.

"You're lucky that I don't need money, dollface, cause you got a bounty on your head of half a million, same for you Ivy. That's a solid million for both."

"That all?" Harley pouted. "Aww Red! I've made more money than that in a single night before! I'm offended!"

"Shh Harls," Ivy hushed her quietly before turning back to the phone, "do you have a name for us?"

"No but there is an address for where the bounty can be picked up. Cash."

"I'm going to need that address, Lawton." Ivy requested politely.

A soft chuckle, "You ladies gearing up for a fight? Want me to lend a hand? Waller didn't say anything about killing other hitmen."

Harley shook her head as she heard the offer, "Thanks for the offer handsome but we can handle this."

"Suit yourselves. The address is 310 Sydney Street in South West Gotham. See ya."

Hanging up again, he disappeared.

"So what we gonna do Red? You feeling up to a little manhunting and murder?" Harley opened her mouth in a grin as she winked in excitement and loosened her shoulders in preparation.

Shaking her head slightly, Ivy dove to one of the nearby drawers and pulled out an untraceable phone, "We need to know what we're up against. One phone call should sort us out. You up for a little bit of acting, baby?"

"Oooooooooooh, whatcha got in mind?"

"Phone Penguin and ask if he knows the address," Ivy smirked, "Ozzie likes you and he's still stuck in Blackgate so i'm sure he'll appreciate talking to an old friend."

"Yesss, Pengy. I can do it. Gimme." Holding out her hand, Harley waited for the phone.

Tapping in the number quickly, Ivy handed it over and watched in amusement as Harley cleared her throat in preparation for the role.

"Hello," Harley spoke in a harsh professional tone which lacked any hint of accent or inflection, "my name is Samantha Wren and I am the legal aide for Mr Oswald Cobblepot and I need a moment to speak to my client privately." A pause. "Yes I can hold. Thank you."

Raising her eyebrows at Ivy, Harley's face was proud as she brought the phone away from her ear and put it on speaker.

"Who is this?" A thin yet classy voice came through the speaker, "You are not my attorney so who are you?"

"Hey Pengy!" Harley announced loudly, waving at the phone.

Realising his callers identity, Oswald let out a loud laugh which sounded more like a 'wah', "Miss Quinzel! What a surprise! Am I to assume that Dr. Isley is also currently with you?"

"I'm here Oswald." Ivy confirmed, unsurprised that he was aware of her reunion with Harley.

There was little which occurred in Gotham which Oswald Cobblepot was not aware of.

"So to what do I owe this unexpected pleasure? It's not every day that an old man receives a phone call from two beautiful ladies."

His charm offensive was legendary and Ivy rolled her eyes, "We have a small favour to ask."

"Of course you do."

"It has come to our attention that someone has hired assassins to take us out and we have the location which the money it to be paid from. We were going to ask if you had any information about that particular address?"

A pause of consideration, "Perhaps. What is the address?"

"310 Sydney Street."

"In West Gotham?"

"Yes."

A noise of recognition came from Oswald and it did not go unnoticed by the pair, "Ladies, I think you might be in a spot of trouble. May I suggest a trip to Metropolis?"

"Who owns the building, Ozzie?" Ivy asked, ignoring the suggestion.

Another long-suffering sigh escaped Oswald as he hesitated before answering firmly, "Joker. The Joker owns that building."

Without hesitation, Ivys' eyes snapped up to meet Harleys' and the silence of the living room was only broken by the faint gritting of her teeth as she thought of the implications of this new information.


	4. He Can't Hurt Me

Hanging up without any form of goodbye, Ivy threw the phone on the nearby couch and she heard it bounce off the stiff cushions and land on the floor with a sharp crack. However, she paid it no mind as her gaze was focused solely on Harley, whose expression was an odd mix of surprise and mild nervousness.

"You said he was dead," Ivy hissed through clenched teeth, "you said you watched him die."

"Red, I know how this looks..." Harley started in a explanatory tone as she held out her hands in a flat position.

"Really, Harls? Because to me this looks suspicious as hell? Someone living in a building owned by your 'puddin'," she spat the word out with pure venom, "seems to want us dead. It doesn't take a genius to work out what's going on here."

Ivy could feel her anger building as a sense of betrayal entered the mix. She had slept easier at night thinking that Joker was finally dead and that Harley was finally safe from his influence but to discover that she may have been fooled by a lie was infuriating.

"Did you know he was alive?" She accused openly, "Have you lived here for these few weeks knowing that at any moment he could strike? I am not prepared for an assault on this apartment by the likes of him." The confession was true, as much as she hated him she had to admit that he was dangerous, "If you've known he is alive and you have lied and left us both here defenseless while he plots his revenge then-" Ivy broke off, leaving the rest of her sentence unspoken.

Visibly panicking, Harley took a step towards her to deny the accusations and show that she was innocent but Ivy, without hesitation, took a step back to keep her distance.

Ivy knew she could not physically be near the blonde when she was this angry since it was more dangerous than Harley could possibly understand.

The injections which she had provided Harley with were designed to protect and defend her from the most common poisons which she would encounter while offering a strong resistance to rarer forms, they could turn the deadly into something of a minor inconvenience. However, the poisons which Ivy was aware her body instinctively produced when she was legitimately angered were incredibly potent and possessed a high chance of killing Harley on contact despite her added protections.

Flinching as Ivy retreated from her, a sudden welling of tears appeared in Harleys' eyes, "Red, I swear, I thought he was dead. I saw his plane go down and he didn't come out from it. My puddin' is dead, Red. I wouldn't lie about that. Not to you." A small tear escaped and ran down her cheek before falling to the ground.

Taking no pleasure in seeing her upset, Ivy calmed her tone slightly from the outright aggression which had coloured it, "If it were any other subject in the world I would believe you without question, Harls, but I can't," she shook her head, "not when it concerns him."

Coming to an immediate decision and marching to her bedroom, Ivy paused just inside the doorway long enough to send Harley a warning glance not to follow her. She needed to work out a plan and she could not have the blonde near her while she did.

Not when she could not be fully counted on.

"But Red-" Harley stood defiant, ready to argue her point even as she wiped forcefully at her eyes with the corner of her sleeve.

"I'm sorry Harley," Ivy announced quietly, "I need to be alone and it's too dangerous for you to be near me at the moment. We can talk about this tomorrow morning." Her tone was apologetic as she smiled sadly.

Closing the door firmly, she felt Harleys' presence on the other side for a moment before a soft noise which sounded suspiciously like a suppressed sob made itself known and she heard Harleys' footsteps as she returned to the couch.

x-x-x-x-x

Awaking in the middle of the night as her silent alarm vibrated, Ivy was mentally prepared for what she understood had to be done.

Sliding the bedroom door open silently, she glided into the living room like a ghost as she attempted to locate Harley. It wasn't a difficult task. The blonde was curled up on the luxurious couch with her arms wrapped around a pillow which she had clutched to her chest in an attempt to comfort herself. Her blonde hair was untied and fanned across her face and shoulders, its light colour reflecting in the subtle light which the moon was providing to the small room.

As she glanced at her, Ivy felt a well of guilt. She had been harsher on Harley than she intended but the surprise of finding out the clown may still be living had hit her hard. Thinking him dead had provided her with a deep sense of comfort which had been torn from her in a single moment.

The main source of her guilt was her accusation that Harley had been wilfully lying to her.

They may not always be entirely honestly, as criminals it was in their nature to deal in half-truths and hidden information, but they had never explicitly lied to each other.

They didn't have to.

But despite the amount of affection and love which they shared, discovering that the Joker was alive would bring Harleys' loyalties into question. It was unavoidable. The clown had made her into who she was today by taking what had been Harleen Quinzel and transforming her into the infamous Harley Quinn. The psychiatrist still existed within the blonde but her mind and body had been tainted in a way which could never truly be cleansed.

The Joker would always have a place in Harleys' life.

He had been her lover, tormentor, creator and life for longer than Ivy had known her and despite the contempt which Harley now held for him, the depth of that relationship would always exist. Even after all the abuse, she would still be conflicted by his presence and with what she had planned, Ivy could not allow that conflict to intervene.

Leaving the living room and being careful not to awaken the sleeping Harley, Ivy slipped into her workshop and took a deep breath as she eyed up the various tools at her disposal.

The first task which lay before her was to change. Shedding her nightgown, she pulled on the tight dark green, almost black, catsuit which was her preferred 'costume' as she worked as Poison Ivy, a moniker given to her by the Gotham press which she had grown to love over the years.

Zipping up the catsuit she stood by the various plants and vines which decorated her private space and summoned them to her. Relaxing her body and mind, she allowed them to begin covering her as they sought to protect her.

As the vines wound their way along her limbs she felt them settle and tighten gently in a way which allowed her full mobility while also defending the vital areas of her body where veins and arteries lay. A cut vein would kill her as quickly as it would a regular human and she had to be cautious.

Her red hair swayed freely and she introduced a small lily to the left hand side, just behind her ear. As she encouraged it softly she felt its stem grow and weave its way through her loose hair as it secured herself to her. Reaching up a hand, she felt along the stem and was pleased to feel the various large thorns which were now protruding from it.

It had taken her many months of intense work but this white lily was her own unique creation and the pride of her collection. Using her own blood and botanical skill, she had created this lily with the ability to induce paralysis to those who dared to touch its thorns. Its usefulness in a fight was unmatched as she enjoyed its abilities as a long-range weapon but also found it an excellent method of dispatching those who got close enough to grab at her hair.

Opening one of the small pockets on her utility belt, she filled it with toxic pellets. When thrown at the ground they emitted a cloud of gas which had a similar effect to pepper spray and could temporarily incapacitate an attacker allowing them to be dispatched. To the side of that pocket, she slid her favourite scalpel into its set place. She found that a scalpel worked much more accurately that scissors when she was tending to her plants and throughout her years spent defending mother earth from mankind she had found that the speed and accuracy of a scalpel had more deadly uses and it soon became a staple in her arsenal.

Stretching out, she felt a bone in her back snap in a satisfying manner as she slowly limbered up. She would need to be at the top of her game if her mission was to succeed, even one wrong move could result in her own demise.

She loved Harley and Harley loved her.

But as long as the Joker lived, Harley would never be completely free of his influence and able to live her life unhindered and so the solution seemed clear to Ivy.

He had to die.

Previously, she had been content to tear his empire apart in her pursuit of releasing Harley from his grasp and, as she completed her goal, she found satisfaction. However, in thinking him dead she had found a new level of peace and she could no longer exist without it.

His attempts to assassinate both herself and Harley only gave her the excuse she needed.

Sneaking to the front door, she cast one final glance at the sleeping blonde.

Harley wanted the Joker dead as much as she did but her core was divided and Ivy suspected that forcing her to confront him would cause her too much conflict and pain. Blowing one final soft kiss her way, Ivy closed the door behind her and set off into the night with a vague hope that Harley would forgive any sense of betrayal she may feel.

Inside the silent room, the click of the latch was met with the sudden opening of Harleys' eyes as she watched the shut door with a calculating expression.

x-x-x-x-x

Arriving at the address which Deadshot had provided her with, Ivy was unsurprised to find that the lights were on and her senses were assaulted by the vividly flashing neon sign which hung above the front door.

A look of distaste appeared on her face as she read it.

"Wacko Smacko Doll Factory," she muttered, "ugh." Talk about a lack of creativity. She vaguely wondered why Batman even bothered using high-tech equipment to hunt the idiot clown down if he was going to be this obvious.

From her vantage point, she could make out the faint outline of a skylight on the roof of the building she was planning on storming and she quickly deduced that it would probably be her safest point of entry. Joker had previously learned the hard way to keep his buildings plant-free and she could sense no flora within the building itself which she could use to her advantage.

Making her way down the roof she was currently on via the fire escapes, she checked the alleyways to ensure that they were empty. There was no need to draw unnecessary attention to herself and if she were to be discovered before she had a solid plan then things could turn disastrous.

Snaking her way along the side of the building, she sought out a way of scaling it.

Eventually she reached an old, rusted ladder which extended up the entire length of the wall and she sighed in relief. Her ascent was virtually silent and as she reached the top of the ladder she peered over the top to ensure that the rooftop was empty.

It wasn't.

Almost dropping to the ground in surprise, she tightened her grip as she pulled herself fully onto the roof to confront the individual who was already sitting there.

"Harley!"

Her hushed yell carried across the rooftop and as it reached her, Harley turned her face fully.

"Hey, Red."

Her voice sounded happy but Ivy could see the flicker of apprehension as she approached and it made her slow. Harley had never been apprehensive of her before. They had argued before and even almost come to blows on one or two occasions but Harley had never reacted like this.

It took her a moment but realisation hit.

Harley wasn't afraid of her, Harley was afraid that she was going to be rejected.

Unhappy that she had given the blonde that impression, Ivy held out her hand and Harley took it without hesitation. Pulling her to her feet, Ivy leaned in a placed a soft kiss on her cheek.

Harley accepted the kiss with a small smile before turning to face Ivy fully, "Betcha thought you could get by me! Nothing gets by me, Pammy." She kept the smile but the accusation was clear.

"Harley," Ivys' tone was gentle, "why did you come here?"

"I didn't want you to come alone." Harley shrugged as she answered evasively.

Sighing, Ivy let go of her, "You know why I am here. If he is alive i'm going to finish him and I know he still holds some power over you." She let her hands hang freely at her side, "I didn't want to risk putting you in a position between us."

"That's not for you to decide," Harley argued firmly before softening her voice, "I know what you're trying to do Red but I don't want you getting' hurt."

Ivy narrowed her eyes, "He can't hurt me."

Giving her a patient look, Harley raised an eyebrow, "Uh huh. Sure. Whatever you say, Red."

"So you came here to kill your puddin'?" Ivy asked sharply. She did not want to be mean to Harley but she had to understand what was at stake.

Tightening her grip around her baseball bat, Harley shook her head, "I don't think I can kill Mistah J," she confessed, "but I can't let him kill you, Red. I won't stop you killing him but you can't ask me to do it. I don't think I can."

Hearing Harley make that confession was more important than Ivy would admit, "You know I would never ask you to do it. I wouldn't do that to you, Harls." Without breaking eye contact, she sought out Harleys' hand and gave it a squeeze.

Turning towards the skylight, Ivy bent down to observe the inside of the factory. The room was almost bisected by a conveyor belt which looked rusty from disuse and a few crates of imported weapons which were littered around in an untidy fashion. The head of the room was fashioned with a desk which stood before a black leather chair which was almost throne-like in its grandiosity.

She counted five guards. One by the desk, two sitting on the conveyor belt and the remaining two standing by one of the weapon crates sharing a cigarette. Each man was holding a pistol aside from one of the men on the conveyor who held a metal baseball bat in one hand.

She strained her hearing in an attempt to pick up the faint conversation.

"Did the boss say how long it was gonna take?" The dark-skinned man who stood by the desk called to the pair on the belt.

One man shrugged in response while the other cleared his throat, "How am I supposed to know? He's working that guy in the basement over good. He's been screaming for over three hours so it should be over soon."

A grunt, "Poor bastard."

As though summoned by his mention, the door to the basement swung open and Ivy could only make out the vague online of a purple coat and a green swatch of hair.

As he entered, the room fell silent as he made his way towards the desk and chair.

Her fury momentarily overriding her reason, Ivy picked up a nearby rock and used it to smash open the skylight. As the small shards of glass fell into the room she followed them, dropping into the room with a practised grace.

Cries of surprise echoed from the men in the room but she only had attention for one.

"Joker!" She bellowed, her strong voice carrying across the room with force as a small thump to her left let her know that Harley had dropped to her side.

At the sound of his name, the Joker stopped and turned slowly to face the pair but as his face was revealed to the pair they shared a quick glance.

"Who the hell are you?!"

x-x-x-x-x

"Who the hell are you?" Ivy repeated as she stared at the Joker-esque figure who was glaring at them both with unbridled hatred.

Surprisingly, it was Harley who answered. "Chuck? Is that you, hun?"

Turning to her, Ivy frowned, "Who?"

Ignoring the faux-Joker and his armed guard, Harley turned to answer her, "Chuck! His full name is Chuck Leigh. Y'know? Chuck-Le? Chuckle? He was one of Mistah J's lieutenants. Mistah J thought it was funny to have a guy named Chuckle so he kept him around."

"I'm sure he did." Ivy rolled her eyes.

Unhappy with being discussed so casually, Chuck stamped his foot in anger, "You bitch! You killed the boss in Midway City! He told me you did!" He pointed at Harley. "He went to meet you and then he was gone and you were with her!"

He cast his eyes over at Ivy, "You killed him and she helped you get away with it! The boss speaks to me and he told me that you were both to be punished for it."

Ivy felt a hint of relief that Jokers' death seemed to be sticking but she was still pissed off with this fool as she muttered under her breath, "I hate this city..."

His speech was somewhat unhinged and as she gave him a closer look, she could see further evidence of his descent into madness. To her, nothing less that pure madness could inspire someone to want to emulate the clown.

The jacket seemed genuine and she would not be surprised to find out that it had actually belonged to the Joker but that is where the similarities ended. His green hair was poorly-dyed and patchy with hints of brown poking through in several areas and his skin was covered in a suspiciously shiny shade of white.

"Is that paint?" Ivy pointed to his bare torso.

"Yeah I think it is," Harley giggled, "Dulux in the shade 'dove white' probably. Glossy finish," she paused, "they must have ran out of matte."

"So you're the Joker now?" Ivy asked mockingly.

"The boss spoke to me in my head and said if I kill the other lieutenants I could be him!" Chuck screamed, "So I killed them all! And I killed the ones who said that you should be boss!" He pointed at Harley again.

"Me? Now that's an idea I can get behind. Harley Quinn the Queen of Gotham!" Harley spun in a circle before making a small bow and winking at Chuck, enraging him further. "You wanna be Queen too, Red?" She directed at Ivy.

"I'd vote for you both!" The dark-skinned man announced from his position behind Chuck.

Looking past him, Harley recognised the speaker, "Hey Dave! How you doin'?" She waved at him frantically, "Is the girlfriend still running ya ragged?"

"Nah man, Joker killed her just after you got locked up." He frowned as he recalled the incident.

"Ahh," Harley pursed her lips, "umm...sorry for asking?"

"Nah it's fine, you didn't kn-"

Daves' words were cut off as his the back of his head was blown out by a single bullet from Chucks' gun, his body folding as it slammed to the ground.

"HEY! We were talking there!" Harley exclaimed as she pulled out her magnum and aimed it at Chucks' face.

"I WILL NOT BE IGNORED!" Chuck shrieked as he aimed his gun at Harley in return.

At his actions the four remaining guards in the room jumped to attention and the three who possessed guns turned them in the direction of the two women.

"You do realise that Mistah J only kept you around because he found your name funny. He was gonna kill you when the novelty wore off, Chuckie-Boy! You think you're gonna replace him?" Harleys' laughter started low and grew higher in pitch as it continued, "You're nothing! Nothing!"

A twitch appearing in his jaw, Chuck bared his teeth as his face twisted in rage, "KILL THEM! KILL THEM BOTH! THE BOUNTY STILL STANDS! ONE MILLION TO THE MAN WHO KILLS THESE BITCHES WHO KILLED THE BOSS!"

"Well yikes." Harley muttered as an wave of bullets started to come their way.

Ivy spewed obscenities as she grabbed a handful of her poison pellets and threw them to the ground. As the clouds of poison rose, she pulled Harley through them until they could take cover behind one of the discarded weapon crates.

The sharp crack of bullets as they struck the wood was constant as splinters flew over their heads.

"Did you really have to wind him up?" Ivy asked, exasperated.

"Hey! I instigated nothing! Chuck was always a creep. He used to kill his girlfriends ya know. Used to hurt 'em and then kill 'em. Mistah J banned me from killing him though."

"Why am I not surprised?" Gritting her teeth, Ivy twisted slightly to locate their attackers.

Finding that only one was not currently using cover, she smirked as she caught sight of him.

Reaching up, she pulled one of the thorns from her lily and, waiting for a pause in the assault, leaned out from the side of the crate and launched it swiftly across the room with a flick of her powerful wrist.

The thorn flew with unerring accuracy, landing squarely in the cheek of the uncovered shooter and the shock of it was so sudden that he continued to fire even as his legs collapsed from under his body and he fell to the floor unmoving.

"Nice one, Red!" Harley laughed manically, the thrill of the fight getting to her, "Now it's my turn!"

Standing without fear, she took aim at one of the more covered shooters as the bullets whizzed by her.

Narrowing her eyes to focus, she clicked her tongue as she pulled the trigger.

Ivy never saw the shot but she heard the soft spatter of blood on the hard floor followed by the thump of a falling body.

Harley may be messy at times but she was a hell of a shot when it counted.

With only two guards and Chuck left, Ivy decided to go on the offensive, "You ready, Harls?"

"Always." Harley replied instantly, grinning with anticipation.

Both diving out from their positions, they started to dart simultaneously across the room in an attempt to eliminate the remaining threats.

The two remaining gunmen, one guard and Chuck himself, split their focus as the guard fired on Ivy while Chuck concentrated on Harley.

Ducking along the conveyor belt as she avoided the shots, Ivy pulled her hidden scalpel from its sheath. Dragging it across her palm gently, she allowed her blood to coat it as she rolled out and immediately continued her sprint towards the guard.

Unprepared for the sudden attack, the man fumbled with his gun as she appeared before him and attempted to slash at his neck. Bringing his gun up he was able to deflect the initial attack but in doing so he left his arms exposed and Ivy pounced on the opportunity. The scalpel made a clean incision in his forearm and Ivy smirked in victory.

"Nice try, lady!" The man spat at her as he pulled away, not even bothering to attend to the shallow cut.

Keeping the scalpel in her hand, she pouted her lips at him, "Aww baby, you're too stupid to realise that you're already dead." As she spoke, she could see his breathing weaken as the poison which ran through her blood infected his. Lashing out with her foot, she knocked him to the ground before sprinting towards Harleys' position.

He would be dead within the minute.

Realising that his gunmen were all dead and he was out of bullets himself, Chuck froze in horror as both Harley and Ivy confronted his last guard.

The final man held out his metal baseball bat with shaky hands as he looked uncertainly between the pair, "Stay back," he warned, "I swear i'll brain you both!"

"Yours is nice," Harley simpered, "but mine is nicer!"

Twirling her bat in her hands, she tilted her head at him, "Do you wanna know how many people i've killed with this bat?" She asked in an intimate whisper.

"Fuck this," the man announced, "i'm out."

Dropping the bat, he darted towards the exit and, without looking back, disappeared through it.

"Smart guy." Ivy nodded her support of his decision, "Harls, you got another shot in you?"

"Sure, Red."

Without speaking, Ivy pointed at the first gunman she had paralysed with her thorns and she watched passively as Harley skipped to his position and, placing the barrel of her gun to his temple, blew his brains across the floor.

"Hey Chuck?" Harley called out to him.

"Fuck you, bitch!" He snarled back.

Tutting in disapproval at the disrespect, Ivy started to stalk towards him, "That's no way to speak to a lady, Chuck. Didn't your mother ever teach you to be nice to women?" She smiled as Harley appeared at her side again.

Backing him against the wall, they both held similar looks of contemplation.

"Ya gonna give him a kiss, Red?" Harley asked, clapping her hands together.

Scrunching her nose in distaste, Ivy shook her head, "I wouldn't waste the poison."

"So..can I...?" Harley paused suggestively.

"Go for it, baby." Ivy smirked.

Leaning forward, Harley clasped his head in her strong hands as his eyes widened in fear, "You wanna be Mistah J? That's fine. Me and Red came here to kill Mistah J if he was here," she confessed, "but we're happy to settle for you. Nighty night, Chuckie Boy."

Smiling viciously, she twisted her hands to the side and snapped his neck, killing him instantly.

Allowing the body to fall to the floor unceremoniously, they both stared at it for a few moments without comment.

"So...it wasn't Mistah J after all," Harley summarised, "I told you I saw him die."

"Aww baby," Ivy muttered soothingly, "I just had to be sure that you weren't lying to me. You know that you can be a bit...funny...when the clown is involved."

"Hey! That's not fair!" Harley scolded before smiling goofily, "but I think you might have a fair point."

Ivy glanced down as she felt Harley grab at her arm and she allowed her to slide her hand in hers.

"Home?"

"Home."

x-x-x-x-x

Collapsing in the bed, Ivy felt the exhaustion of the day catching up with her. She had unwound her vines and pulled off her catsuit but the thought of changing into night clothes seemed like an excess of effort. So lingerie it was but the satin sheets were ideal against her slightly aching body. After her near-death experience, she had taken a while to heal and she still found that any excess exertion caused her to ache.

To her side, Harley had on a similar lack of clothing but Ivy suspected that the blonde had a more nefarious plot in mind than simple sleep. The thought made her smile but she had a nagging feeling that she owed Harley something.

"Harley?" She murmured.

"Yeah, Red?"

"Did I say that I was sorry for all that stuff I said to you?"

"Nah but you don't nee-"

"I'm sorry, Harley."

"...thanks, Red."

Feeling more content now that she had apologised, Ivy slid down the bed a little so that she could rest her head on Harleys' neck and the smell of vanilla and patchouli that was uniquely Harley invaded her senses. A sense of calmness washed over her as a warm hand came to lay on the small of her exposed back, gently tracing nonsensical shapes.

"They never did find his body." Harley spoke conversationally.

"Huh?" Ivy was pulled from her dozing state by the unexpected statement.

"Mistah J," Harley explained, "they never did find his body. He could still be alive, I suppose."

Ivy nodded, having reached the same conclusion, "We can cross that bridge should it ever come to that. If he returns he will have no lieutenants left to command so it will take him a long time to regroup."

"And we'll be ready?"

"We'll be ready." Ivy confirmed.

"Can I get a kiss?" Harley tilted her head down to give Ivy a small wink.

Ivy tilted her head up to meet her and gently brushed her lips against Harleys' own.

Satisfied, Harley sighed blissfully, "I love your kisses."

"I know you do," Ivy purred before asking slyly, "and why is that?"

Harley paused for a moment to consider her answer, "Your kisses have probably killed more people that I have. They're so deadly and they have caused so much pain to so many people in this city."

Frowning at the answer, Ivy rolled over and pushed herself on to her elbows to face Harley. Her words were unexpected and Ivy felt that the explanation was odd, even a little hurtful, "And how is any of that a good thing?"

Giggling at Ivys' confusion, Harley pushed her with her arm and when Ivy was flat on her back she moved to hover over her, their faces just inches apart. "You're not understanding me, Red!" She shook her head gently before continuing.

"The reason I love your kisses so much is because they can be used to hurt me," Ivy opened her mouth to protest but Harley placed a finger on her lips to shush her, "but I know that they never will. And that means a lot to me, Red. More than ya know."

Beaming with pleasure at the explanation and feeling the sudden need to be as close as possible, Ivy reached up and pulled Harley down to her, their bodies naturally moulding into each other as she dove in for a fierce kiss which was filled with her love for the other woman.

The quiet hiss of their breathing and the soft rustling of the bedsheets were the only sounds which existed within the apartment as its two occupants enjoyed the rare moment of peace and contentment knowing that in Gotham City it could not, and would not, last for long.


End file.
